


Duality

by missema



Series: Kirkwall Tech [9]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Breaking and Entering, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Family Issues, Grey Wardens, Kirkwall (Dragon Age)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-03
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2019-01-08 11:04:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12253047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missema/pseuds/missema
Summary: A tale of the Hawke twins -- one with purpose and another sort of lost and blowing in the wind.This weekend, Carver is on leave to visit his family, Bethany's hooking up with a guy she met on campus, and Leandra's preparing for a family meal for all of them. What really brings them together isn't food but a little breaking and entering into the old Amell estate, aided by big sister Melissa and her boyfriend, Sebastian Vael.





	Duality

**Author's Note:**

> A scene of this takes place during R is for Realty in Summer Break

She decided to take the long way through campus, letting herself walk slowly in the heat and humidity of the day. It woke up her limbs after being in the cold classrooms, but she was in no hurry to go home and sleep or just sit in the oppressive heat of the apartment. Bethany let her mind wander as she walked through the courtyard outside the small building that housed the student union, bookstore and several other tiny campus institutions. Her school, the Free Marches Medical College - Kirkwall branch, was a small specialized school for nurses and allied health students like her. It was located across the city from where Melissa went to school at Kirkwall Tech, but it was close to home. On her first tour she'd learned that it was once a Chantry run clinic for nurses and healers, but it had become its own private school later on, though it still had strong Chantry ties.

There was no work for her today, and not much homework either, so there was nothing keeping her from going home. She just didn't want to, but she wasn't at all sure about what she might want to do instead. Bethany thought about and ruled out going to see Athenril, but maybe she'd text her friend Merrill and see what she was up to. Likely not much at all, or hiding in the library soaking up the cool air in there until Merrill had to go back to her own dismally hot little apartment. Maybe she wouldn't bother her, but instead call her sister and see if she could pry herself away from her job and boyfriend long enough to have some fun.

If she had a boyfriend like Sebastian, she'd be practically glued to him too. Melissa wasn't really well-matched with anyone she'd dated, until him. Her sister was odd, a little too hard for their lives in Ferelden and the work she'd had to do, smart enough that it intimidated many people, and strange enough with her lockpicks and books that the rest didn't know what to do with her. She was glad she'd found Sebastian, though leave it to her sister to find a literal prince to date. Maybe they'd get married and Bethany would be whatever the sister of a princess was. Probably just the sister of a princess, but still that had to be worth something, at least some designer swag.

Her mind wasn't on much at all as she sat down on the wooden slated bench in the courtyard to tie her shoe. The backpack she'd slung over one shoulder fell to the side, and Bethany set it down then put her shoe on top of it so she could fix the laces. As she leaned, a shadow fell over her, and when she looked up, a man was smiling down at her.

"Hi, sorry for looming. You wouldn't happen to know where the alumni tour is starting would you?" he asked in a Marcher accented deep voice, giving her a wide smile. He had incredibly white teeth, and as she noticed that, Bethany found herself smiling back at him.

"I'm not sure. Maybe at admissions? That's where the tours usually start," she ventured. She'd forgotten it was alumni weekend, mostly because it didn't really affect her. There had been signs in the union, but what did she care? She'd only just finished her first classes at FMMC, so she was hardly able to attend alumni weekend.

"Where's that at now?" he asked, giving her a sheepish laugh. Bethany watched him as he looked around, squinting at the campus as if bringing it into focus might make it more familiar. He was nice-looking, handsome even, with sandy brown hair, dark eyes and fair skin. His ears were slightly pointed, and she realized he was probably half-elf. When she stood up and slid her backpack on, she figured she was right, because he was only a little taller than she. The shortest of the Hawke siblings, Bethany could never be described as willowy as Melissa, and definitely not as massive as Carver, who had towered over all of them since he'd been fifteen.

"I'm going that way, if you'd like me to walk you over," she said, giving him a smile, letting her voice lilt up. She wasn't about to pass up the chance to flirt with someone cute, and he was certainly that.

"Could you?" He was smiling back at her, his eyes 

"Yeah, it's no problem. I'm Bethany, by the way," she offered, trying to keep this from being a trip in completely awkward silence, since she wasn't sure he was going to do anything but walk next to her admissions.

"Landon," he said, and stuck out his hand to shake hers. "I, um, really did go here, but I graduated seven years ago, but it's changed since then. That building," he pointed over to their left, indicating the library, "wasn't even built yet."

"I hadn't realized it was that new! Have you been inside? The library has the best unobstructred views out to the water. Well, aside from the ones from a Hightown estate, I suppose, but this one is free," Bethany said. 

He gave her a smile that felt far more genuine this time, and she could feel him looking her up and down. It was a strange thing to be aware of someone cataloging you, and then finding you acceptable. She took the time to do the same to him, noting the trimness of his waist, the square set of his wide shoulders and how nice his clothes were. The jeans were definitely designer. She wondered what he made of her, though his approval was obvious, she'd give a copper to hear his thoughts.

Finally, with a tilt of his head he spoke again. "Bethany, why don't you give me a tour if you've got the time? Then I can take you out for a drink to say thanks," he suggested. Landon's tone of voice made certain she knew what kind of drink they'd be having, and Bethany, suddenly finding herself not at all bored, was all for it.

Bethany smiled back at him and nodded, her mind already filled with thoughts of what that drink might lead to. She almost laughed -- a year and a half ago she would never have gone off with a stranger, but then one night she'd calmly walked out of the Lowtown apartment and to the Hanged Man where she asked Varric to fuck her please, and that had been the end of her virginity. It felt like the beginning of making her own choices for once, not running and waiting for her sister to save the day, no longer waiting for Mother's shining dreams of restoring the Amell legacy that would likely never happen. 

"I'd like that," she said. He stepped closer to her, walking side by side as they started across the street to the library, bypassing the admissions office entirely.

#

Carver grinned as he stepped onto the train, even knowing that it would be a long ride to Kirkwall. He didn't have enough for a plane ticket -- not without dipping into his precious savings -- but the train ride from Antiva wasn't supposed to be bad, and it got there fairly quickly. He'd be in Kirkwall by afternoon tomorrow, less than a days ride. Lots of rolling country to see up through Starkhaven, and then heading south towards Kirkwall, there were a variety of movies to watch as they barreled through the less than scenic parts of the trip.

He checked his bag for the ninth time since he'd packed it that morning. He had gifts for everyone, but he was especially careful with the one for his mother. It was silly, but he remembered her talking about her youth and a tiny hand-painted figure her grandmother had displayed in a curio cabinet. It sat among many other tiny pieces, but she'd loved the one of a jester the most, for whatever reason. Carver had seen one in a shop weeks ago and bought it inexpensively. Without the greater collection, this piece hadn't been worth much.

Gifts were rare in their family, even before Father died, but they'd practically gone extinct after. He remembered the year that Melissa refused to let them not have Satinalia gifts, even though they had no money so they all baked gifts. His had been a lemon icebox pie made with hand raised crust and the zest of just one lemon over the whipped cream that had taken him most of the day to make properly. Mother hadn't been able to bake, because whatever medication they gave her didn't work right and she was like a zombie, but he remembered her taking a bite of everything, trying to smile and make the holiday less dreary. She sang a carol, but forgot the words and Melissa tried to feed them to her, only for them both to wind up mixed up and laughing. Carver couldn't help but smile to himself as he let the memories come. He remembered Bethany's bread, Melissa's excellent and abundant cookies and the dinner they'd managed to make out of canned food and two small pheasants he'd poached. 

For years he couldn't stand Melissa, resented her for being so overbearing, so out of touch and no longer fun or understanding. Until he'd gone away, he'd truly had no idea how hard she'd worked to keep their family together, fed and alive. She'd been fourteen when Father fell ill and she got her first job. That was ten years ago, and she'd worked every day since. Now here he was nineteen and doing work that he absolutely loved, not just what he needed to do get by and there were still days he didn't want to get up. He had days where he took his time off and relished the perks of being a soldier in a city that wasn't his and let life buoy him up. Melissa had been fourteen and never took a day off, she never was able to get that little bit of time to enjoy.

He sent her the seeds to help her remember what little good he could recall from the bad old days, to get her to smile. He planned to stop first at her apartment, because as tempting as it was to rush in and see Mother, she would still be cooking and the small, Lowtown apartment would be unbearably hot until dinner was done and the oven off. He wasn't sure if Gamlen was out of jail yet, but Carver didn't want to stay stuck with his mother and uncle, both of them pelting him with questions and Gamlen creepily trying to get Carver to accompany him to the Blooming Rose. He would just stick Carver with the bill again. Nope, he wasn't going to chance that awkward encounter.

Carver wondered what Bethany was doing right now. He missed her more than anyone. Being apart from Bethany for extended times was something they'd never done before, they'd never had to do it. The experience wasn't one he would recommend, though it was better now than it had been when he'd been in training, all of his outside contact cut off. Now, he was free to get her nightly messages and irritable texts about work or school or people he didn't really remember. She called more than anyone else, even Mother, just to ask him a quick question or call him names. Last time they'd talked, she'd been down, so he sent her a video of him dancing his jig, the one he made up as a kid. It was always guaranteed to make her smile. Bethany missed him as much as he missed her, but no one else could ever begin to understand what that meant.

"Excuse me, Warden ser, is this seat taken?" Carver turned to the voice, already smiling at the sweet, lilting Antivan accent that was accompanied by a pretty face. Her hair was dyed a vibrant shade of pink, and she had a backpack slung over her shoulder.

"No. Have a seat," he answered, and smiled over at her. He didn't ask her name, didn't question her at all, but let her sit down and arrange herself in quiet. 

When he looked over at her again, she was smiling at him, and given that opening Carver held out his hand. "I'm Carver," he said, and gripped her small, warm fingers with his watching her eye him with obvious interest.

"Maria Elena," she answered, releasing his hand. "Where are you going on this fine day, Warden?" she asked, flirting obviously, and Carver with one look knew exactly how to answer her.

"To visit my mother and sisters. It's been a long while since I've seen them," he said, and the girl gave him a sympathetic look. "I have a twin sister that I miss very much."

"That must be hard on you," she said, and Carver moved a little closer to her seat. The movie was about to start, but thought he might just ignore this one in favor of his companion. He nodded in agreement of her words and she put her hand on his knee.


End file.
